Four Brain Injury Effects That No One Thinks About

When we hear that someone suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), our thoughts automatically race to create a stereotypical picture: A person who is either in a coma or who is walking around confused, dizzy and uncoordinated.

While such a mental picture may certainly be accurate on many occasions, we don’t often realize that people with TBIs can experience a wide range of other effects that impact their lives in very real ways.

The CDC mentions a number of potential TBI effects of which most people are not aware. Here are four:

1. Changes to taste and smell: A person who suffers a brain injury may find that his or her sense of taste or sense of smell is affected.
2. Aggressive attitude: Sometimes people with TBIs experience a radical shift in their personalities, making them far more confrontational than before.
3. Social problems: A person with a TBI may find it very challenging to interact with other people in a socially acceptable way. He or she may blurt out inappropriate comments, for instance.
4. Alzheimer’s disease: Suffering a brain injury can increase a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and other disorders.

Because a TBI can affect so many areas of life in such profound ways, it is critical for victims and their families to obtain the full amount of financial compensation they need. Socially unacceptable behavior, for instance, may lead to a person losing his or her job. Developing Alzheimer’s may mean paying for nursing home care in the future. The list of potential expenses goes on and on.

To learn more about pursuing a personal injury lawsuit to help cover such expenses, contact an experienced Tennessee lawyer.